Drew Wilson
James St. George is leading the field to succeed Speaker Paul Renner in Northeast Florida’s House District 19, new campaign finance reports show.
St. George entered the race last month and his inaugural reports list nearly $200,000 in fundraising through his campaign and political committee, Friends of James St. George.
The total includes $101,758 in candidate contributions to the campaign account, but the report also lists more than 100 contributions from donors, including 60 entires for $1,000, which is the maximum allowable contribution for state House candidates.
St. George, a physician, received most of his outside support from the health care industry and individual health care providers — nearly 50 contributions came from individuals who listed “physician” as their occupation.
The political committee listed just five contributions, but they included a $15,000 check from the Florida Medical Association, a trade association representing the interests of Florida doctors. Friends of James St. George also lists contributions from physicians Aaron Sudbury and Patrick DeMarco, surgeon Mark Dobbertien and the Dade County Medical Association.
Meanwhile, two other Republicans running for HD 19 didn’t show much in their May fundraising reports.
Donald O’Brien, who entered the race in February, raised just $500 last month. The total came by way of a single contribution from Mark Stonebridge, who the report lists as a law enforcement professional.
The report continues O’Brien’s deceleration in the money race. After opening his campaign with a strong inaugural report — $24,750 raised from 26 donors — he followed up with $1,000 reports for March and April. Both of those reports featured just one donor.
The other Republican in the race, Darryl Boyer, joined the field around the same time as St. George but raised just $5,475 in his first month.
Boyer’s total came in across 44 contributions, including two max checks. One of his backers was Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has built a career as a Trumpworld B-lister. He chipped in $100.
Still, Boyer did receive support from a handful of Tallahassee power players. Paul Mitchell, a partner at The Southern Group, gave $1,000; Kathy Mears, the Chief of Staff to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, wrote the candidate a $250 check; and Steve Vancore, the President of VancoreJones Communications, tossed Boyer $100.
He finished the month with $5,250 in the bank.
HD 19, which covers all of Flagler County and part of St. Johns County, is currently held by term-limited House Speaker Paul Renner. More than 63% of voters in the district backed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2022 Governor’s race, which saw Renner win re-election over Democrat Thomas Morley with 64% of the vote.
Morley is giving it another go in the 2024 cycle. Through three finance periods he has raised just $200 from donors and kicked in an additional $3,460 in candidate loans.
